An action packed back and forth game between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Crystal Palace ended in a 2:2 draw, with both sides putting on a show in an attempt to claim the points both sides craved so much.
Crystal Palace had started their week strong with a victory against Aston Villa in the EFL Cup, but for Wolves this was the match that would see their resilience put to the test, and the result was an entertaining fixture in a shocking matchweek when all matches are considered.
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Story of the game
Both sides came into this match needing the three points, Palace in the hope that their hot form could continue and Wolves in order to restore stability in a somewhat difficult time.
Wolves were backed by their strong crowd as usual at Molineux. The side they put out was a side that wanted the win, and it most certainly had the ability to do so on paper.
Jose Sá would yet again start in goal, with Toti, Craig Dawson and Santiago Bueno screening him in a back three. Their defensive support would be crucial if Wolves were to get anything out of this game.
The wing backs Rayan Ait Nouri and Nelson Semedo had often been the most important forces in this team so far this season and would have to turn up yet again as the flanks remain key for both sides tactically.
Tommy Doyle and João Gomes stayed deeper this time out, with Mario Lemina taking a spot on the bench for this fixture. Gomes usually starts higher up the pitch so his duties were set to be more defensive this time around, whilst giving Wolves more of an attacking edge than Lemina would usually provide.
Matheus Cunha kept his starting place again, with ex-PSG star Pablo Sarabia joining him alongside Jorgen Strand Larsen in the quest for goals after putting two past Brighton a week before.
As for Crystal Palace, Dean Henderson returned in goal after missing out on the midweek match, with the usual back three of Maxence Lacroix, Trevor Chalobah and Marc Guehi protecting the goal, as they have as of late.
Tyrick Mitchell and Daniel Muñoz keep their places from the midweek fixture, and as usual would be ever important in this fixture. Will Hughes would als start alongside Daichi Kamada, playing deeper this time around instead of his usual attacking spot. This may come as a shock considering his performance for Eze in the cup but it brings some necessary rotation in attack.
Eddie Nketiah and Ismaila Sarr started behind Jean-Phillipe Mateta in this tie, with Eze unable to start this one after being forced off against Villa, he would have been missed.
The game didn’t start too hectic, but Will Hughes aimed to repay his manager’s faith with a wonderful strike that could only be stopped by Craig Dawson before Kamada’s follow up was found safely in the hands of the goalkeeper.
The defenders then too got involved in the action, with Trevor Chalobah finding himself in space, but his and Mateta’s failure to score from so close to the goal left Palace fans believing that the lead should be theirs. Chalobah had scuffed his attempt at the ball after brilliantly beating the offside trap, with his shot landing at Mateta who sent his strike flying back at his teammate and leave the chance wasted.
Pablo Sarabia was Wolves’ livewire, and he nearly found the net after being found in acres of space. Cunha’s pass left him wide open but an oncoming Dean Henderson managed to prevent the situation from taking a turn for the worse.
Luckily for Crystal Palace, they would take the lead after a relatively dry 60 minutes. A Will Hughes cross would be found by the goalkeeper, but Jose Sá’s punch would only go as far as Trevor Chalobah, who again found in a clear goal scoring position would not miss on this occasion. No Wolves defender could be found on the line, and the defender on loan from Chelsea had a clear strike at goal this time around, with enough time and patience to hit the ball cleanly.
Unfortunately for Chalobah, he would yet again make a mistake but this time it would cost Palace. Seven minutes later and after a raft of Wolves substitutions Chalobah would go for a long ball from a Wolves counter attack but go down too easily, leaving Matheus Cunha to square it to Jacob Straud Larson and this time Dean Henderson would be beat. It was game on with half an hour to go and anything could happen.
Five minutes after that it did happen, and Wolves finally had the lead. Goncalo Guedes, who had come onto the pitch ten minutes earlier, was found in plenty of space on the right hand side, leaving him able to square the ball to João Gomes who finished off the move and made it 2:1 on the night. Gomes had started the match off deeper but with Lemina substituted on he was given more license to attack, and the manager’s faith had been rewarded with the goal to give his side the lead.
Considering the rapid streak of second half goals, it would come as no surprise that Palace were able to equalise in the 77th minute, only five minutes after Wolves took the lead and 17 minutes after their opener. Kamada swung in a corner which at first met the head of Daniel Muñoz, with Marc Guehi running in behind to tap the ball home at the far post and square the game up again. Two of Palace’s three centre backs had scored, and now it was time to make sure they didn’t concede again.
All of a sudden, it looked as if the three points could go either way, and they very nearly went back to South London. Mateta on the left wing swung a low cross into Kamada, which was blocked by Mario Lemina and nearly collected by Sá. The ball was spilled after Kamala challenged for it leaving Mateta to strike into an open net, but the goal was subsequently ruled out due to Sá having both hands on the ball as Kamada intervened, leaving the score at 2:2 as full time arrived.
This match was heavily reliant on momentum, but the stats tell you the same story they have told for weeks on end; Wolves dominating possession, Crystal Palace having more chances, and no team able to claim victory. Whilst in Palace’s case they will be glad with the comeback, both managers will rue the missed opportunity to put some breathing space between their side and the relegation zone.
This result means Crystal Palace stay in 17th but move up to seven points, leaving them two behind Everton who lost to Southampton earlier in the day. The result from that match also has ramifications on Wolves’ position, with the Midlands side dropping to 20th on three points, a single point behind Southampton. They remain one of two sides who are still yet to win a match this season (Ipswich being the other) and are at a serious risk of relegation at this early stage.
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Player of the match
After such a hectic match between the two sides, it was João Gomes who really stepped up for Wolves.
Forced to play multiple roles for his side, he provided defensive support for the majority of the match, and his goal almost provided a worthy reward for his efforts.
Unfortunately the win was not to be for his side, but performances like that provide hope that all is not lost.
And when players like João Gomes play like they did today, it leaves something to hope for.
